My journey as a Partnership Officer began in Ottawa from 1999 to 2001 — a formative and challenging period with a small partnership team (A. Berranger, L. Elder, L. Burley and N. Smythe). A new posting to Haiti for my spouse then brought us back to that country for a third stay.
From 2006 to 2009, I was deployed to the Dakar Regional Office to develop financial partnerships in West Africa (with G. Forget and K. Touré as directors). By this time, the partnership and business development team had expanded, with officers in each region. I took over from K. Dansou and contributed to the expansion of a major capacity building component in resource mobilization.
Contributing to the diversification of funding sources for our partners’ (grantees’) research was both extremely challenging and aligned with IDRC’s mission, complementing our efforts to build alliances with foundations and bilateral donors. Between 2004 and 2009, nearly 480 people from 370 research organizations and networks in Asia, Africa, and Latin America participated in this program.
This assignment in Africa was my favorite: missions to regional offices, field visits to partners, international conferences, and exchanges with donors. It was also an exciting time marked by the emergence of a dynamic, progressive and committed African philanthropy.
From September 2009 to June 2017, I was back in Ottawa (with D. St-Pierre, D. Swartz, L. Burley, S. Taylor, and J. Marcil). The numerous partnerships, co-financing and “parallel” funding had made it possible to significantly increase the resources available to the programs and the recipients, and to strengthen collaborations with donors and foundations.
In total, 15 years at IDRC were rewarding! And not just work, but friendships, fun (e.g.: IDRCski) and commitment. What beautiful encounters along the way. I left IDRC in June 2017 for Quebec City, to launch a new initiative in Haiti with Lawyers Without Borders Canada.
Settled in Saint-Denis-de-la-Bouteillerie, in Kamouraska region since 2018, I first became involved as a volunteer in heritage preservation, particularly at La Maison Chapais that had an ambitious restoration project. In 2021, I was elected mayor of the village (515 inhabitants). I have just completed a 4-year term. I chose not to run again. A new chapter now … a real retreat, of travel and sports! That’s how I stay in the “international”: in 2026, a cross-country skiing loppet in Switzerland and a participation in the triathlon world championship in Spain (age group obviously, but nothing better to stay young and on the move!).
Welcome to Kamouraska, when you come east! (nigenereux@gmail.com) We look forward to showing it to you!
Bulletin 80
April 2026